A massive field of 1000 runners lined up on a grey drizzly morning ideal for marathon running. Gillam was targeting a time of somewhere near the London Marathon “good for age” time of 3hrs 45 mins after running a PB of 3hrs 43 mins on the same course last year. Unfortunately her training had been interrupted recently forcing her to withdraw from the Southend 10k only 2 weeks ago, and despite a brave attempt she was always chasing the pace. Nevertheless she should take heart from her finishing time of 3hrs 49mins 18 secs which still ranks as her second fastest over the distance. Official results are still not available but Sally’s time is likely to place her at least within the top 3 in the Southern Counties Veteran AC championships.

 

 Meanwhile Terry Knightley  ran the Langdon 5 Miles Cross Country race in Basildon on what the organisers conservatively describe as  'An Undulating to Hilly Course going through ancient woodland as well as meadows and former plotland gardens'.

 

Knightley battled the tough course to finish 9th overall and 3rd in the MV40 category in a field of about 100 plus runners. Knightley’s time was 30 minutes and 4 seconds. The race was won by Thrift Green’s Ryan Prout with John Barker in 2^nd spot also from the same club.

 

Duncan Turner and Keelie Brooks found similar hills in the Croydon 10k where both put up good performances on what is never an easy course. In a field of 609 runners Turner clocked 43.36 for 130^th postion with Brooks not far behind with 45.46 for 183^rd.

 

The club now look forward to the 2^nd round of the Essex Cross Country League this Saturday which is probably the most gruelling course over the man-made hills of Basildon’s Gloucester Park.